Anzac Day
Each year, Anzac Day provides an important opportunity for us to pause and reflect on the service and sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand men and women in times of war, conflict and peacekeeping. It is a moment to look beyond history and consider the values that continue to shape who we are as a nation.
The stories at the heart of Anzac Day speak to courage, resilience, mateship and selflessness. These are not just qualities of the past, but values that remain relevant in how we treat one another and contribute to our community today.
Ceremonies such as Anzac Day hold deep significance. They call for quiet reflection, respect and an understanding of the importance of the occasion. These moments remind us of the responsibility we have to honour those who have served through our actions, our conduct and the respect we show in both formal settings and everyday life.
At Fairhills High School, this connects strongly to our vision of empowering our community to be curious, creative and confident learners. Being a confident learner includes demonstrating respect and integrity. Being a curious learner involves seeking to understand the experiences of others, both past and present. Being a creative learner means thinking about how we contribute positively to the world around us.
Anzac Day reminds us that remembrance is not passive. It is an opportunity to reflect on the kind of community we want to build, one grounded in respect, empathy and shared responsibility.
Lest we forget.
Listening to Our Community: Student Dashboards
At Fairhills High School, we are committed to continually strengthening student learning and engagement. As part of this work, we are introducing new student dashboards that provide a clearer picture of each student’s progress across the Learning Cultures, alongside their attendance.
This initiative is grounded in our vision of empowering our community to be curious, creative and confident learners. The dashboards are designed to support meaningful conversations between students, families and teachers, while also building student ownership of learning. By making progress more visible, students are better able to understand where they are at, what they are doing well, and what their next steps are.
An important part of this process has been hearing directly from our community. We have sought feedback from students, staff and families to ensure the dashboards are clear, useful and genuinely support understanding of each child’s learning.
This feedback is playing a key role in shaping and refining the dashboards before their full implementation. It ensures that what we develop reflects the needs of our community and supports strong partnerships between home and school.
We thank our community for their ongoing engagement and for the valuable input that continues to strengthen this work.
Contribution Fees – Thank You for Your Support
At Fairhills High School, we are proud of the strong partnership we share with our community. We would like to sincerely thank all families who have contributed to the school this year. Your support plays an important role in enriching the learning environment for every student.
Voluntary contributions allow us to go beyond the basics and continue to improve the quality of our learning spaces, resources and facilities. These enhancements directly support student engagement, wellbeing and achievement, and help bring our vision to life of empowering our community to be curious, creative and confident learners.
In the past, contributions have supported a range of significant improvements across the school. These include upgraded classroom furniture in all Year 7 to 10 learning spaces, modernised library facilities, resurfacing of the sports stadium, the installation of BenQ presentation boards in all classrooms, and upgrades to whiteboards, pinboards and student areas. Looking ahead, further enhancements such as the modernisation of the Year 7 and 8 courtyard will continue to improve the daily experience for our students.
It was particularly pleasing to see the Parent and Carer Survey identify our school grounds and facilities as a clear strength, reflecting the significant progress we have made in this area over recent years.
Importantly, these contributions are not just about physical resources. They reflect a shared commitment to providing the best possible opportunities for all students and strengthening the sense of pride and belonging within our school community.
We recognise that families contribute in different ways and appreciate the ongoing support shown to Fairhills.
We encourage you to click here to explore our virtual tour and experience some of our outstanding facilities, many of which have been enhanced through the support of our community.
Thank you for partnering with us to support every student at Fairhills High School.
Child Safety and Wellbeing at Fairhills High School
At Fairhills High School, we are committed to providing an environment where every student is safe and feels safe. We have zero tolerance for child abuse and are dedicated to protecting children from harm and promoting their wellbeing.
Our child safety framework outlines the strategies, policies, and procedures we have in place to support a culture of child safety and care across the school. It includes:
- Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- Child Safety Code of Conduct
- Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedure
- Complaints Policy
- Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy
- Bullying Prevention Policy
- Volunteers Policy
- Visitors Policy
- Digital Learning Policy
- Yard Duty and Supervision Policy
You can find all these policies on the Fairhills High School website.
Our students and their families are essential partners in ensuring a safe and supportive school community. We regularly share updates and reminders in our newsletters to keep our community informed about:
- Our ongoing commitment to child safety, and
- How you can provide feedback or raise concerns.
If you have a child safety concern at any time, please contact
- Silvana La Leggia Year 7-9 Assistant Principal
silvana.laleggia@education.vic.gov.au or 9758 5022
- Bill Exton Year 10-12 Assistant Principal
bill.exton@education.vic.gov.au or 9758 5022
All concerns or complaints are treated seriously and with care.
We also welcome your suggestions on how we can continue to strengthen our child safety approach. Thank you for partnering with us to make Fairhills High School a safe and supportive place for every student.
Ian Van Schie
Principal
Student Engagement and Wellbeing
It has been a fantastic start to Term 2, with the recent warmer weather providing a positive and energising return to school. As we now move into the cooler winter months, this is a timely opportunity to focus on keeping our students healthy, connected, and ready to learn.
Winter Wellness
With colder weather comes an increase in seasonal illness. We encourage all students to take simple steps to stay well, including dressing warmly, maintaining good hygiene, and getting enough rest. Wearing layers, including appropriate undergarments, is a practical way for students to stay warm throughout the day, particularly during early morning starts and outdoor transitions between classes.
Students are reminded to wear the correct school uniform to support warmth and comfort. Approved outerwear and additional layers can make a significant difference during colder days. The school beanie is also available for purchase from the main office, providing a great option for students to keep warm while remaining in full school uniform.
Nutrition Matters
Good nutrition plays a key role in supporting both wellbeing and learning. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast helps students maintain energy, focus, and concentration in class. Our Breakfast Club runs every morning, providing students with a welcoming and supportive start to the day. In addition, food stations are available around the school to ensure students can access snacks and maintain energy levels throughout the day.
Attendance – Every Day Counts
Regular attendance remains a key priority at Fairhills High School. Every day at school provides valuable opportunities for learning, connection, and growth. Even missing a small number of days can impact student progress over time. We ask families to continue supporting strong attendance habits and reinforcing the importance of being at school every day.
If your child is absent, please ensure that an explanation is provided promptly via Compass or via the Attendance Hotline on 9758 5022. This allows us to accurately monitor attendance and provide support where needed.
Celebrating Attendance Success
We would like to congratulate all students who achieved 100% attendance in Term one. This is an outstanding accomplishment that reflects commitment, resilience, and a strong dedication to learning. As part of our SWPBS framework, each of these students has been awarded 50 SWPBS points, which can be exchanged at the points shop. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and encourage all students to strive towards consistent attendance throughout Term 2.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Silvana La Leggia
Assistant Principal – Student Engagement and Wellbeing
Teaching and Learning
It has been a really positive start to Term 2 across the school. Classrooms have settled quickly back into strong routines and it has been great to see students engaging positively with their learning after the break.
As a school, our focus this term continues to centre on helping every student understand what they are learning, how they are going and what they need to do next.
A key part of this work is our ongoing focus on feedback and improvement. Across all classes, teachers are working with students to better understand rubrics, reflect on their work and use feedback to make genuine improvements. This is particularly important as students move into the senior years, where the ability to act on feedback is critical for success in VCE.
In addition, students across the school will begin more structured opportunities to set goals and track their progress. This work will link directly to Learning Conferences later in the year and to student reports, helping students take greater ownership of their learning.
We are also continuing our focus on consistent classroom practice across the school. Students should expect to see clear Learning Intentions, Success Criteria and lesson structures in every class. These routines provide clarity, reduce uncertainty and help students focus on what matters most…their learning.
For our senior students, there has been a strong emphasis on building effective study habits and exam preparation skills. Developing these habits early in Term 2 is important as SACs continue and exams approach later in the term.
As always, the partnership between school and home plays a vital role. A simple conversation at home about what your child is learning, what feedback they have received, or what their next goal is can make a significant difference.
Thank you for your continued support. Together, we are working to ensure all students at Fairhills are challenged, supported and continuing to grow as confident learners.
Mr Exton
Assistant Principal – Teaching and Learning
